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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259247">Under the Mistletoe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaddockWriter/pseuds/HaddockWriter'>HaddockWriter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Movies, Cuddles, Dog Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), F/M, First Date, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hiccstrid - Freeform, Hiccstrid Modern AU, Mistletoe, Race To The Edge, Romantic Fluff, aggressive flirting, blindsided, mistletoe kiss, winter cuddles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:01:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaddockWriter/pseuds/HaddockWriter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Astrid has been crushing on her best friend for a very very long time now. Everyone knows that they are perfect for each other and the reason why the both of them are still not together is because Astrid is still waiting... Waiting for him to invite her to be his girlfriend.</p><p>And it looks like this Christmas will be a Christmas Astrid and HIccup will remember forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hiccstrid One-Shots</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a two chapter one-shot.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hiccstrid Modern AU<br/>
(Hiccup and Astrid are 19 years old in this story)</p><p>“It’s the most beautiful time of the year, lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer. I should be playing in the winter snow, but I'mma be under the mistletoe..."</p><p>"With you… shawty with…"</p><p>"Astrid?"</p><p>"With you…  shawty…"</p><p>"Astrid?"</p><p>“Astrid!”</p><p>"Wha- what is it mom?" Astrid snapped out of her daze and pulled her earphones off as soon as the voice of her mother overpowered the sound of Christmas music being blasted at max volume on her phone.</p><p>"Are you free to go to the mall to help buy me some groceries? I need a few missing ingredients to bake my Christmas cookies!” Astrid’s mother shouted from behind Astrid’s bedroom door.</p><p>“Er… yeah! Just give me a sec!” Astrid yelled back, placing her coloured pen down and tucking the handmade Christmas card into a corner of the table before she went to a drawer to fish out her car keys.</p><p>“What were you doing in your room, Astrid? It’s the holidays! You don’t have to lock yourself in the room all day to study,” her mother questioned as soon as Astrid was out the door.</p><p>“Oh, I was just making a Christmas card, that’s all,”</p><p>“Ooo, for who? And what’s so special about this person that you need to take almost a whole day just to finish one Christmas card?” her mother arched her brow with curiosity. </p><p>“It’s because... this Christmas card is actually for Hiccup…” the blonde girl said shyly, her cheeks flushing red at the sudden increase in blood flow.</p><p>“Well, that explains a lot,” her mother stifled a laugh.</p><p>“Huh? What do you mean?” </p><p>“He’s your boyfriend isn’t he?” her mother answered back, sending a bolt of lightning that flashed straight through her body upon hearing her mother’s unverified assumption that Hiccup was her boyfriend.</p><p>“No he’s not! He’s just a friend!” Astrid’s voice went up an octave higher without her realising it until those words slipped out her mouth.</p><p>“Come on Astrid, I’m your mother, you can’t hide everything away from me. Besides, I’ve seen the way you two are together. You both seem pretty fond of each other,” her mother made justification for her assumption earlier as she wrote down the list of ingredients she needed for her cookies on a piece of paper.</p><p>“No! I’m serious, mom! We’re really just friends! Even Hiccup says so!” Astrid explained to her mother, hoping that she would stop this false presumption of hers about Astrid’s relationship with Hiccup. So that there wouldn’t be any misunderstanding that might falter their five years long worth of friendship.</p><p>“Then I suggest it’s about time the both of you start doing something about it. You can’t just hide your true feelings for each other forever,” her mother answered, putting down the pen in her hand once she completed writing her list.</p><p>“Argh... Whatever! Just give me that!” Astrid snatched the paper in her mother’s hand and stomped out the door, taking her winter jacket out along the way.</p><p>At the mall…</p><p>“Then I guess it’s about time the both of you start doing something about it. Oh, yeah, like I don’t want to do anything about my relationship with Hiccup, mom!” Astrid did a mocking impersonation of her mother as she started ranting about a bunch of stuff inside her head while walking down the aisle to find some flour, sugar and chocolate chips for her mother’s cookies.</p><p>“Argh! For a straight A student, Hiccup can be just so stupid sometimes! I’ve given him so many hints on how I actually love him as more than just a friend and that stupid dork is still so blind to notice my way too obvious way of flirting with him! Even our classmates are aware of it and are shipping us together!” </p><p>“I mean we always share a cup of slurpee together, hug each other every time we meet, and even call each other till late at night like lovesick teenagers! Not to mention that I’ve even given him a kiss on the cheek not just once, but twice! And the second kiss was literally just a month ago when we celebrated his birthday!”</p><p>“Gosh, how oblivious can this guy be? What more do I need to do just to get him to realize that I actually have a huge freaking crush on him? Kiss him stupid on the lips like they do in the movies?” Astrid was about to go on grumbling even more stuff about the boy until... </p><p>“Astrid?” an immensely familiar voice called for her name.</p><p>“Hiccup?” she turned around to see the boy she was just ranting about shopping along the same aisle as her.</p><p>“Oh wow, Astrid! It’s so great to see you! What are you doing here?” the auburn haired boy speed walked towards her to wrap her body into a tight hug, a hug she was all too willing to return despite the dialogues of complaints she had about him inside her head not too long ago. </p><p>“Just buying some flour and chocolate for my mom’s annual holiday cookies. What about you? I never knew you were the type of guy who would come out of the house just to do some grocery shopping,” Astrid asked with genuine curiosity in her eyes, knowing that Hiccup hated going to the mall to do his shopping and would rather get it done online since he would constantly have trouble finding the products he needed in the never ending variety of items arranged neatly around the mart.</p><p>“Well, I thought I decided to have a bit of a change for today, cause… you know, it’s Christmas! I have all the time I want to just keep exploring the mall. Plus, it just feels so good to walk around the mall with the sound of Christmas carols continuously playing in your ears, right? It's just so Christmasy!” Hiccup exclaimed, clearly excited about the holidays as much as Astrid was.</p><p>“Well, I guess the same goes for me as well. I do love the Christmas environment around here,” Astrid smiled, her eyes wandering around the mall as she took in the liveliness of the Christmas spirit surrounding them.</p><p>“Hey, erm Astrid, since you’re here, I thought... maybe you’d like to do your groceries together with me? We could even go to Subways later to grab a bite if you want to,” Hiccup suggested, his diffident features that Astrid always finds adorable preventing her from answering that shy boy with a no even if she wanted to.</p><p>“Sure, but if only you would let me pay for my own sandwich,” Astrid warned him, knowing fully well that Hiccup would always volunteer to pay for her meal even if Astrid refuses to let him.</p><p>“Hmm... I can’t guarantee that,” Hiccup shrugged his shoulders with a dorky smile.</p><p>“You’re always treating me like a queen, you know that?” Astrid teased, giving him a friendly jab in his left arm. A usual act of love Astrid always does whenever she’s with Hiccup to ‘display’ her affection towards him, and a gesture Hiccup always loved about her but never told her before.</p><p>“Well, you are in a way my queen,” Hiccup said, swallowing most of his words, his bashful behaviour becoming very obvious.</p><p>“Sorry, what was that, Haddock?” Astrid requested him to repeat although she heard the words he said perfectly well.</p><p>“No… nothing, I was just saying that we should probably get our groceries done as soon as possible. Wouldn’t want your mom to wait till midnight for your groceries, right?” Hiccup walked away with an awkward laugh, turning his face away from Astrid to go bury his eyes in the variety of products displayed on the metal racks.<br/>
Astrid stood there and paused for a while as she stared at the gangling boy wrapped around in thick warm clothes that sort of added more to his build. Her mind getting lost in her own thoughts again as she thought of Hiccup's sudden but subtle change of behaviour when he was around her just now. She noticed it. </p><p>He seemed a bit... flirty today. </p><p>Maybe he was just excited to see her out of pure coincidence in the mall. Or maybe because it’s Christmas, that’s why. But nevertheless, it’s better if she observes him more for a little while before arriving at a conclusion. If Hiccup’s really a bit flirty today, then she better take this opportunity to properly flirt with him too.</p><p>“Hey Astrid, you coming?” the boy turned around to see her still standing there in a daze.</p><p>“Yeah, just got caught up staring at all these beautiful Christmas ornaments, that’s all,” </p><p>“Come on, we got some shopping to do,” Astrid sprinted up to him and locked her arm around his, making sure to flash him a cute girl smile as she did so. </p><p>A slight blush crept across Hiccup’s face when he felt Astrid wrap her hand around his arm so naturally as though it was a normal thing for them to do. Ok, she is definitely stepping over the friendship boundary the both of them have unknowingly set for themselves but… who was Hiccup to complain? He loves it every time Astrid steps over the line and acts as if she was his girlfriend, and Astrid knows he secretly likes it as well.</p><p>“That would be fifteen dollars,” the cashier informed them as soon as their Subway sandwiches were ready. </p><p>Just when Astrid was about to dig her money out from her bag… Hiccup beat her to it.</p><p>“Sorry Milady, you gotta act fast if you don’t want me to pay for your meal,” Hiccup smirked, placing the fifteen dollar bill into the cashier’s hand before Astrid could even take her wallet out.</p><p>Astrid gave him her usual glare as she watched Hiccup wander off the counter with their tray of sandwiches in his hand. He picked a table which had two seats situated right opposite one another. Astrid walked towards the table with a vacant seat and sat opposite him, grabbing a sandwich in her hand as she snarled.</p><p>“Stupid dork,” </p><p>“But thanks,” her angry features instantly replaced with a thankful smile. A smile that lit up Hiccup’s face as well.</p><p>“So... how does your meatball sandwich taste? Is it delicious?” Astrid asked, watching Hiccup take a big bite out of his sandwich.</p><p>“Yeap, it’s really good. I really missed eating this… I always order their meatball sandwich every time I come here… And how about yours? How is your chicken sandwich?” Hiccup paused in between sentences, swallowing down a gulp of sandwich each time he was done chewing a portion of it as he speaked. His voice sounded slightly muffled as well due to the mouthful of sandwich he was chewing. But even so, Astrid was still able to roughly figure out what he was trying to say.</p><p>“You really like to chew more than you can eat, huh?” Astrid commented sarcastically, something she likes to do very much, especially with Hiccup. </p><p>Hiccup looked towards the table with downcast eyes upon listening to Astrid’s unpleasant remark about him. Gosh, what an embarrassment he must be for eating like a glutton in front of a girl! A girl he secretly has a crush on ever since puberty did its twisted magic over him.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I just really like this sandwich,” came Hiccup’s unconfident and hardly audible reply as he grabbed a piece of tissue to wipe his mouth the moment the contents in his mouth made its way down his throat.</p><p>“It’s alright Hiccup, I’m not too bothered about table manners as well. Besides, I was only just playing with you. You know I love to tease you, right? Especially since you didn’t let me pay for my own sandwich just now,” Astrid grin, causing Hiccup to instantly feel infinitely better knowing that he can be comfortable around his best friend.</p><p>“Well, I do love acting like a gentleman, you know that, right? Especially when I’m with you,” Hiccup smiled as he attempted to flirt with the indescribably beautiful blonde before him. An act which was considered pretty rare for him to do.</p><p>“You know, I would love to kiss you on the cheek if there was a mistletoe hanging above us right now. An act of generosity like this certainly deserves a kiss on the cheek, don’t you think?” Astrid flirted back with him, seizing this rare opportunity of hers.</p><p>She was really curious to know how he would respond. Normally, she would always sneak a kiss onto his cheek without giving him any prior notice. And now that she’s about to give him a kiss by getting his full consent, Astrid hopes that her aggressive flirting isn’t too much that Hiccup would be afraid of her.</p><p>“Did you say that because there’s a mistletoe hanging above us?”</p><p>Hiccup looked up to see a small branch of mistletoe hanging onto the wall beside them. The mistletoe was hanging directly under a blinding light source that illuminated their section of the room, which must have explained why Hiccup didn’t notice it earlier. Besides, he was also too engrossed with looking at those dazzling pair of ocean blue eyes to even realize that almost every table in the Subway store had a mistletoe of its own hanging above it.</p><p>“Mmm... maybe?” Astrid played with her hair as she fixed her eyes towards a corner of the restaurant and hummed coyly.</p><p>“How coincidental,” Hiccup said amused.</p><p>“I guess the universe just has a pretty funny way of getting us two together,” Astrid continued humming.</p><p>Hiccup fidgeted with his fingers at the nervousness of the situation he was in, not having even the strength to look at Astrid in the eye due to how flustered he was with Astrid’s active flirting. When Astrid saw that he was getting really uncomfortable about it, she stopped with her flirty attitude and sank back into her seat to silently eat her sandwich, hoping that she didn’t overdo herself this time and caused their many years worth of friendship to be shaken.</p><p>But then, suddenly, Hiccup did one of the most unexpected things ever...</p><p>“So... are you going to give me a kiss on the cheek, or what?” </p><p>His usual shy and bashful demeanour was one that was filled with courage, causing Astrid to be surprised by Hiccup’s sudden confidence when it comes to flirting. Something she never knew he had it in him.</p><p>“Looks like someone’s pretty excited, huh?” Astrid smirked, quickly jumping back into her flirty behaviour when she saw that she had a breakthrough.</p><p>“Just doing this for old tradition’s sake. Besides, you’re the one who offered to kiss me in the first place,” Hiccup tittered.</p><p>Given the green light to give him a kiss on the cheek, Astrid swiftly leant her body forward and embraced his cheek into a soft kiss. Hiccup’s face immediately turned a bright shade of pink upon receiving his mistletoe kiss, a mistletoe kiss from none other than Astrid Hofferson herself.</p><p>“Hmm… I see that you liked it,” Astrid snickered when she caught sight of the adorkable smile she made on the boy’s face.</p><p>His diffident features returned back to him right after the kiss and he found himself speechless under Astrid’s words. Seeing as he couldn’t get the words to come out of his mouth, he just smiled sheepishly and let his body do the talking. </p><p>After they were done with their sandwiches, the both of them left the mall and walked towards the parking lot hand in hand. Something Astrid instinctively did, partly because she loves the feeling of Hiccup’s fingers being intertwined with hers and partly due to the fact that her hands were getting cold in the chilly winter air, now that they were outside the mall.</p><p>Right before they said their goodbyes to split up and head towards their individual cars, Hiccup decided to ask her a question he had been wanting to ask her since early this morning...</p><p>“Hey, Astrid?</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Are you free tonight? I was thinking if... you would like to come over to my place later to watch a Christmas movie with me? I feel quite lonely this Christmas without my parents around,” Hiccup asked, his face turning into one of dejection at the mention of his parents.</p><p>Aww, poor thing, how could Astrid say no to such a pitiful request? Even if she really was busy tonight, she would still make time to keep Hiccup company, knowing that his parents had to leave town due to work purposes. </p><p>“Sure, who’s coming along as well?” </p><p>“Are you ok if it’s just the two of us? I’m not sure who else to invite,” his eyes slightly avoided her gaze as he scratched the back of his neck.</p><p>“Ooo, is someone inviting me out on a movie date?”</p><p>Astrid’s feature lit up as she stood on her tippy toes and leaned forward towards Hiccup. Her eyes looked straight into his emerald green ones with a smirk, wanting to make him uncomfortable on purpose as she forced him to look at her in the eye.</p><p>“Uh… yeah, I guess you could consider this as a movie date?” Hiccup shifted nervously upon the cold tar road he was standing upon, his body naturally backing away from the intensity of Astrid’s vibrant aura.</p><p>Hiccup waited anxiously for Astrid’s reply, unsure if she was going to reject his invitation upon knowing that she was the only person he’s inviting for the movie tonight. He seemed a bit hopeful that her answer would be one that he’d like seeing the gleam in her eyes, but insecurity still crept into him and told him that she would reject his invitation.</p><p>But all these thoughts were forgotten when Astrid dropped down from her tippy toes to then fall into Hiccup’s embrace and give him a tight hug.</p><p>“Then I’m definitely in,” Astrid squealed.</p><p>Hiccup didn’t return her hug. He was in far too great of a shock to process Astrid’s acceptance right now. Astrid looked up to stare at his face. A dumbfounded smile was found stuck on it. He opened his mouth to get the words out his mouth but again failed to do so. So Astrid decided to help him up a bit.</p><p>“So... see you tonight?” Astrid asked, smiling to herself seeing Hiccup’s pleasantly surprised face.</p><p>“Yeah... see you too,” Hiccup managed to choke the words out as soon as the nerves in his brain reconnected again, bringing common sense back into him.</p><p>“Alright then, love you!” </p><p>And just like that, Astrid shot him a wink before she turned around and strolled towards her car. Hiccup was left there with a goofy smile stuck onto his face as he pondered upon Astrid’s last words…</p><p>“Love you...”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't forget to check out chapter 2 to find out how their first date went. And please leave a comment if you have any feedback to give. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is basically a chapter on how Hiccstrid's first date went.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it! Hiccup actually invited me out on a date! An official and legitimate date! Ahh! I can’t believe it! I’m so excited!” </p><p>The young girl screamed inside her head, trying her very best to contain her excitement but clearly failing seeing as she was caught red handed by her mother for smiling away like a little kid who had just gotten a brand new toy. </p><p>Only this time, it wasn’t a toy, but a person who had forged that smile on her face. Her mother watched her throughout the whole car ride. Seeing her fidgeting around so restlessly in the small tight space of the back seat, looking as though she was about to explode any moment like a time bomb if she doesn’t get there on time made her mother worry that she’d be late for her precious daughter’s very first date. </p><p>“Woah, calm down sweetie! You’re going to crush the Christmas card you just made if you don’t stop moving around the car like a puppy!” Her mother tittered, worried for both the Christmas card Astrid made and also for Astrid’s unpredictability of blowing up into bits anytime now.</p><p>“Yes I know, but I’m just sooo excited!” Astrid squealed, her feet tapping onto the floor mat so rapidly her mother was afraid that Astrid might make a hole on the floor.</p><p>“I can see that Astrid, you don’t have to tell me! Now can you please stop tapping your feet? The less you tap your feet, the faster we’ll probably get there!” her mother exasperated. She too was also beginning to lose her mind with the way Astrid is acting right now.</p><p>“Oops, sorry,” Astrid said with a sheepish smile when she realized that her uncontrollable excitement was driving her mother crazy.</p><p>After a few more minutes of enduring the seemingly never ending car ride, Astrid was finally in front of Hiccup’s doorsteps. </p><p>“Have a good time sweetie! Call me if you need a ride back home, ok?” her mother informed, dropping Astrid off the car.</p><p>“I know, I will!” Astrid replied as she waved back to her mother and watched her drive off. </p><p>*Ding Dong*</p><p>The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout Hiccup’s house. And in just a few seconds, the door knob clicked open, revealing a… </p><p>“Hiccup!” the blonde girl immediately leapt onto his body for a tight hug. </p><p>The lanky boy stood there stunned by the sudden impact as his legs almost gave way to the newfound weight above him. If it wasn’t because of the thick clothes wrapped around them that cushioned the impact of Astrid crash landing onto him, Hiccup was sure that he would have ended up tumbling to the ground with Astrid lying above him. A position that is although very intimate, but very awkward at the same time, and definitely not something one would want to experience on a first date.</p><p>“Hey, Astrid! I am glad to see you too!” Hiccup hugged her back as soon as his body adjusted to the familiar weight pressing against him. </p><p>“Merry Christmas! And... Oh oh oh! Before I forget! Here’s your Christmas present! From me to you,” Astrid shoved the well decorated paper bag which contained Hiccup’s gift into his face.</p><p>“Oh, wow! To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a Christmas present from you tonight when I invited you over for a movie. I mean there's still a few days till Christmas,"</p><p>“Yeah, I know. I wasn’t expecting to give it to you tonight either, but since I managed to finish making your gift right after we were done shopping, I thought… What better time to give it to you than on our first date?” Astrid explained with excitement in her eyes.</p><p>“That’s really sweet of you, Astrid, thank you. I hope the present I’m going to give you as well wouldn’t disappoint,” Hiccup said, turning around to fetch Astrid’s present but was stopped when Astrid laid a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“Wait, before you go… I want you to open the present I gave you first,” </p><p>Looking at Astrid’s eagerness for him to open the present, Hiccup knew Astrid must have poured in a lot of time and effort into making it and would want to see how he would react to the present as soon as possible. So with gentle fingers, Hiccup slowly opened the floral paper bag and found a notebook with a Christmas card attached over it.</p><p>At first, Hiccup thought that it was just a plain simple notebook that could be easily found inside any stationary store. But when he separated the Christmas card from the notebook, he saw that the notebook Astrid gave him was actually a custom made notebook, made from the soft delicate hands of Astrid Hofferson herself.</p><p>The cover was hard, almost similar to that of cardboard. And on top of the cover he saw one of the most beautiful drawings Astrid has ever drawn in her life. The image almost looked like it was printed straight from a colour printer, or maybe even better. </p><p>Hiccup always admired Astrid’s exceptional talent when it comes to art and calligraphy. She’s been drawing and participating in art competitions ever since she was seven. And with so many years of experience and hard work, it's no surprise that the shadings and sketchings of her wonderful handiwork is able to trick an inexperienced person into thinking that the picture was printed straight from a printer. </p><p>The colour and toning of the drawing was perfect. It was vibrant enough to catch the attention of the observer, yet not too overly done that it would make the viewing any less pleasurable. The shape of the characters were even drawn so symmetrically with such proportion that even till now, Hiccup still doubted it whenever Astrid said that her hands weren't a living printer. The drawing was flawless, not a trace of flaw to be found as Hiccup found himself caught in a gasp while roaming his eyes all over the brilliant masterpiece to appreciate it.</p><p>But what interests him more… was the meaning behind the drawing. On the surface, the drawing didn't seem like much. It was just an image of a dog playing fetch with a human on a beautiful evening sunset with purplish and orange sky as its background. The human resembling Hiccup of course, and the dog resembling... the deceased labrador Hiccup had since he was ten that passed away a month ago. A tear slipped out the corner of his eye as he stared at the picture and remembered the fun and cherishable moments he had with his dog. The drawing Astrid drew for him felt so real and alive, Hiccup almost felt as if Toothless was right here with him, right now, as he stared at the image that brought life to his memory of him and Toothless playing fetch at the park together. </p><p>“Wow, this is… this is beautiful! I feel like I should be paying you for receiving such a beautiful gift like this. l- I like it! I like it so much I- I don’t know what to...”</p><p>“It’s alright Hiccup, just seeing you smile is all I need to see to know that you really like the present I got you. Besides, you still haven’t open the Christmas card yet,” </p><p>Thinking that his Christmas present couldn't possibly get any better, Hiccup took the Christmas card in his hand and read it. On the outside of the card, was a picture of a Christmas tree with many Christmas presents hidden underneath it. The presents were wrapped up nicely in many different colours and tied with a red ribbon. This image was also, hand drawn by Astrid Hofferson of course. And above the Christmas tree was two very large words written in astoundingly beautiful cursive writings, wishing him a simple Merry Christmas. He opened the card and found more beautiful cursive writings, written in the form of a passage that goes like this:</p><p>"To my very dear friend Hiccup, I know it must be really hard for you, having to constantly live alone in an empty house without your parents around most of the time. And with the recent passing of your dog, Toothless, I’m not sure how you handled this feeling of loneliness for so long. It just saddens me to know that you’ll always feel lonely every time you get back home from college with no one to greet you at the door. And the many nights you had with no one to eat a proper meal with, it just... feels so unbearable to me if I were in your position.”</p><p>“I know you know that your parents are just doing what’s best for the people. And because of that, many refugees have been blessed by your parents’ work, making their Christmas a very merry Christmas as well. But at the same time, because of their work, they can hardly spend time with you…”</p><p>"But that’s why I’m here, Hiccup. I'm right here, for you. You and I have been through everything together and I just want to let you know that… you have me, no matter what, okay? Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean, I am with you. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always."</p><p>Love, Astrid Hofferson.</p><p>Those words touched him deep in his heart and Astrid could see tears streaming down his cheek as he read the note in the card. He didn’t speak a word but she knew, that this Christmas present was very much needed by him on this lonely winter night.</p><p>“Each time you use this notebook, I hope that it’ll remind you of me. And most importantly, I hope that it’ll remind you that you are never alone, because I will always be with…”</p><p>“Mmm…!?” Astrid’s words were cut off. A surprised gasp escaped her lips but was swallowed by Hiccup’s lips when he suddenly pulled her towards him and locked his lips with hers. Astrid’s eyes blew wide open with surprise. This was their first kiss on the lips... </p><p>And to receive it so suddenly with Hiccup being the one who initiated the kiss... gods, Astrid was literally on cloud nine right now as she melted into his lips. She always knew Hiccup’s lips would taste good on hers but, she didn’t know that it would be this good. With the urge of wanting to taste more of his sweet, Astrid pressed in closer, kissing him back with equal passion as they both held each other so close they were afraid that the other was going to be gone forever.</p><p>Hiccup broke the kiss first, his flustered face accompanied by freckled cheeks almost making him look like a giant strawberry as Astrid looked at the auburn haired boy with a deep blush on her own face as well.</p><p>“Thank you Astrid, I- I’m sorry if I... I just don’t know what’s gotten into... ” </p><p>Knowing what he was about to say, Astrid wrapped her hands around his neck to embrace him into another round of hug, cutting him off when she hauled his head towards hers so that their foreheads were now connected. Hiccup integrated into the hug, enjoying their moment of intimacy together as their two worlds collided. Hiccup wasn't sure what it was but, something about that hug felt new to him. It felt so tranquil, so satisfying, so… complete. It’s like they were two jigsaw puzzles that just found each other and finally clicked together after so many years. Astrid separated her forehead from his and took a step back from him to give him some space. She looked at Hiccup with a smile and said,</p><p>“It’s alright Hiccup... I have to admit it, it wasn’t exactly how I expected our first kiss to be, but… it was way better than what I expected, thank you,”</p><p>“Thank you? No, I should be the one thanking you, Astrid. You have been there for me for as long as I can remember. You have been the one who has guided me and shaped me into the person I am today. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Not my parents or my scholarship. You have always been there for me and I want to always be there for you. I love you Astrid Hofferson, with everything I have, and I always will.”</p><p>“So… would you like to be my girlfriend?” Hiccup asked, making Astrid’s eyes glow wide with excitement at the mention of the golden question. </p><p>This was it, the question she has been waiting for… The question she’s been dreaming to hear coming from Hiccup’s own lips… The question she’s been dying to answer with a…</p><p>“Yes! Yes Hiccup! I want to be your girlfriend!” Astrid shrieked with one of the most beautiful smiles Hiccup has ever seen. The throbbing in Hiccup’s heart now settled when Astrid answered him with a simple "yes".</p><p>Hiccup held her hands in his, gently caressing her knuckles with his thumb as the both of them stared and smiled at each other for a long time. Being caught in the magic of the moment, neither of them were aware of how long one had been staring at the other. But what they do know is that they had been staring at one another for so long that things… started to become a little awkward between them.</p><p>“So… erm… are we going to just… er…”</p><p>“Right, what were we about to do again?” </p><p>“Er.. watch a movie?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, right, how could I forget that?”</p><p>The both of them blushed nervously after being caught staring at the other for too long.</p><p>“Wait, before we start watching the movie, I would like to give you your Christmas present first,” Hiccup informed, walking over to his room to look for Astrid’s present.</p><p>“Here, I made this for you, put it on,” Hiccup walked out the room to reveal an azure blue winter sweater that had some hints of teal styled over it. </p><p>The design of the sweater was rather simple, just rows and rows of horizontal stripes and nothing else. But despite its simplicity, Astrid still fell in love with it. Besides, she was never one who loves to wear overly styled clothings after all. In fact, she even prefers wearing simple ones just so that she wouldn't draw too many unwanted attention. Only one person's attention is needed to satisfy her longing heart, and it looks like that attention was finally given to her on this magical Christmasy night.</p><p>Astrid took the sweater from his hand and put it over her body, her body immediately liking the sweater the moment she was engulfed in the thick fabric handwoven with love by the hands of her precious lover.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, it fits perfectly!” Astrid commented, brushing her hands over the fabric to smoothen its surface as she turned her body around to see how she looks in her new sweater.</p><p>“And the sleeves, they are just nice. How did you know my size?” Astrid asked as she continued examining the details and the design of her now favorite winter sweater.</p><p>“Well, your size is only slightly smaller compared to mine, so... it wasn’t that hard,” Hiccup chuckled.</p><p>Astrid looked at him with a smirk etched onto her face as she let out a teasing remark.</p><p>“Looks like someone has been spending a lot of time checking me out, huh?” </p><p>“Oh, am I not allowed to do that? I’m sorry,” Hiccup returned her teasing smirk with his, inviting her to play along with him as she leant forward and placed a hand over his chest.</p><p>“No, don’t be sorry. I like it when you check me out, especially now that you’re my boyfriend,” Astrid purred, almost driving Hiccup crazy looking at the way his now girlfriend looked so beautifully hot in the winter sweater he made, her nimble hand over his chest definitely melting his heart into liquid at the molten heat her blazing aura is radiating.</p><p>“Then I’ll be glad to do so. But right now, we got a movie to watch,” Hiccup removed her hand over his chest and pulled her towards the living room to continue what they originally planned to do.</p><p>As soon as they finished setting up everything they needed for the movie, Astrid jumped onto Hiccup’s couch to join in his heat as she glued her body towards his and nestled her head onto the crook of his neck. </p><p>“Mmm… you’re so warm and cuddly babe,” Astrid smiled pleasingly as she squirmed onto Hiccup’s body to find a comfortable position she is satisfied with. </p><p>“Even though I’m just a talking fishbone?” Hiccup snorted.</p><p>“Yes, especially because you’re just a talking fishbone,” Astrid growled as Hiccup wrapped a hand around her body and rested it on her shoulder. His left hand continuously brushing onto her shoulder in a loving manner as they enjoyed the movie together.</p><p>Being engulfed in each other's presence with nothing to distract them except for a tv screen, the two ended up spending more time looking at each other in the eye instead of focusing on the movie. Hours felt like seconds as they spent the night chatting and filling their ears with the sound of one another’s laughter. With the clock slowly nearing midnight, Astrid decided it was time she called her mother to pick her home...</p><p>“Astrid, I just want to say thank you, for tonight... You’ve given me the greatest gift in the world for this Christmas, and I am very thankful,”</p><p>“Aww thank you, I’m so glad you like the notebook and Christmas card I made for you,” Astrid squealed, always glad to hear the compliments Hiccup has to say about her various artworks.</p><p>“No, I wasn’t referring to that. I mean, the card and the notebook are really pretty and all but, it’s not about that...“ Hiccup paused, earning a puzzled look from Astrid as she stopped to wonder whether she had given Hiccup any other gifts either than the card and notebook she made. But her curiosity was quickly forgotten when Hiccup revealed the answer to her.</p><p>“The greatest gift I got this Christmas is actually you, Astrid. You, just being here with me, is the only gift I need, thank you,” Hiccup pulled her in for a hug, lingering into her warmth through the thick fabrics as he closed his eyes and shared one last hug with her before he had to spend yet another miserable night alone in his house.</p><p>“Thank you, Hiccup. You’re the greatest gift in the world to me too. Goodnight, I have to go now, my mom’s at the door,” </p><p>Just when Hiccup was opening the door to escort her out the house, Astrid pulled his hand towards her and leaned in to kiss him on the lips in one swift motion, catching Hiccup by surprise before he leaned in to greet her back with a kiss as well.</p><p>“Hah, did you seriously think I’d leave here with just a handshake?” Astrid huffed, leaving her boyfriend with an adorkable smile stuck onto his face as she walked out the door. Looks like she’ll be dreaming of that cute smile of his in her sleep by the time she reaches home.</p><p>And with that, Hiccup waved her goodbye and watched her jump into her mother’s car before she left. Hiccup closed the front door with the same smile still not fading away from his face as he prepared to get himself ready for bed. At least tonight he will have Astrid’s kiss and warmth to remember whenever he feels alone…</p><p>“So Astrid, how was your first date with Hiccup?” her mother asked, cranking the volume of the radio up a little louder when one of her favourite Christmas songs was on queue.</p><p>“Mmm… perfect,” Astrid hummed as she leaned her head against the car window and looked at the colourful Christmas lights outside that filled the streets with the joy and liveliness of the Christmas season. The only thing appearing onto her mind right now being Hiccup’s precious smile and the lyrics of the song that is currently playing right now…</p><p>“Your lips on my lips, that’s a Merry Merry Christmas,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is it, the last chapter of Under the Mistletoe. Hope you all liked it and Merry Christmas. :) And most importantly, I hope you all found your Christmas Miracle just like Hiccstrid did hehe.</p><p>Feedbacks and comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you. &lt;3</p>
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